Chapter 41

< My Little Brother... (1) - Paid Starting Chapter >

"Of course, there's no reason for you to meet them. You can refuse."

Yoo Hyun said firmly. It's not that there's no reason to meet them, but rather that he doesn't want me to meet them.

Anyway, this guy, no matter what he's like at other times, has lost his qualifications as a guild leader in front of me. If he sits there saying he doesn't want to meet them, he shouldn't need to sweet-talk me first.

"If I say no, they won't come, right?"

"Of course, they won't."

"Hey, how will the public view the third-generation guild leaders paying a personal visit to Hae-yeon? They'll think Hae-yeon is in control, right? But there's no reason to meet them, is there? Just once, show your face, okay, brother?"

Of course, I don't want to meet them. It's troublesome. Still, when I hear this guild leader talking nonsense, I can't just let it go.

...Could he be deliberately saying I can refuse? My little brother can't be that cunning.

"Still-"

"From now on, don't say 'but' in front of me."

Yoo Hyun closed his mouth and then opened it again.

"But-"

"No buts, no howevers, no anythings. Don't use negative conjunctions at the beginning of your sentences."

My little brother looked dejected. Really, how could this guy have ignored me for years? The successful person from five years later is still vivid in my mind, so this twenty-year-old kid sometimes feels strange.

Moreover, my memory spans thirty years, so I'm actually ten years older than this young guy. Even a five-year age gap is significant, let alone ten. When I was an adult, Yoo Hyun was still a little elementary school kid.

He's really young.

"What's the big deal about showing your face once? You're going to be a public figure soon anyway."

"...Aren't you worried? They're not easy opponents."

"I'm not worried, just a bit annoyed. Still, they're customers, so I should introduce the product with the enthusiasm of a salesman who's just received a big order."

I understand their desire to see things with their own eyes, given the significant investment. I'd be uneasy too if I had to stamp my approval based only on video footage. Especially for a top-tier mount, it would be worth the effort to see a partner who could complement the S-rankers.

"If you're okay with it, I won't stop you. They'll probably bring an Awakened Appraiser."

"An Awakened Appraiser? What's their appraisal skill level?"

"A-rank."

An appraisal skill that can check someone's skills and stats can only confirm opponents one rank lower than the user. With an A-rank skill, it shouldn't be a problem... or so I thought. Damn, I lied about having a C-rank skill.

"Hey, Yoo Hyun? It would be a bit awkward if my C-rank skill was exposed."

"It's fine. The people coming this time know that an Awakened Center is about to open. They won't pay much attention to non-awakened individuals. They can only check ranks once a month, and as I said before, that won't attract much attention."

No, the problem is that I don't have the skill at all.

"Still, it feels uncomfortable. Is there an item to hide skills? A C-rank skill should be easy to hide."

"No. If it's exposed, it will be troublesome. Even if they can't appraise the beast taming skill, they can make guesses based on other skills, which is why they're bringing an appraiser. You have two E-rank skills and one C-rank skill as initial skills, and you obtained beast taming at level 10. If you have other skills or none at all, you might be suspected."

"Did you mention the C-rank skill?"

"I haven't said that yet, but if you use an item, the appraiser might notice... Brother."

Yoo Hyun looked me straight in the eye.

"Are you hiding something from me?"

"That's... "

Damn, there's nothing I can do now. I planned to say the skill had grown and increased in rank if it was exposed, but I didn't expect to meet an A-rank appraiser so soon.

It's ridiculous to say a C-rank skill has already become A-rank.

"The truth is, the skill is A-rank."

I just came clean. Since the highest Awakened appraisal skill was A-rank even five years later, it shouldn't be exposed.

"Brother!"

Yoo Hyun shouted. What's the problem? Everyone hides their skills.

"A-rank? That's completely different!"

"Well, the effects are roughly the same."

"Roughly?"

"...I can accurately determine the expected awakening rank, including initial skills, with no limit on the number of checks."

I hid the optimal awakening. My little brother sighed deeply and looked at me with a resentful gaze.

"Did you doubt me, or-"

"I believed that you were unnecessarily worried about me. If I had said, 'Actually, I have an A-rank skill,' you would have said, 'Sure, wait in your room for three years,' right?"

"...I didn't doubt you, though?"

"If you had doubted me, you would have already run away."

If Yoo Hyun had been calm and composed, I would have told him everything. He just couldn't say it because he was a bit off.

"I believe in you. I believe you're the kind of person who would risk their life for me."

How could I not believe you after seeing it with my own eyes?

Yoo Hyun looked embarrassed at my words.

"...I didn't think you would believe me to that extent."

I couldn't believe it either until you did something stupid.

Thinking about it, I felt a bit guilty. It's his fault for hiding it silently, but I should treat him well since he's worth his weight in gold.

"Since it's A-rank, it shouldn't be exposed this time. Being able to determine the exact expected awakening rank without limits is impressive, but from the fact that you didn't bring anyone besides Park Ye-rim, it seems high-rank Awakened individuals are rare."

Yoo Hyun, who had calmed down, said.

"Right. I've tried it occasionally, but I haven't seen even an A-rank, let alone an S-rank. There were a few B-ranks."

"Was the initial skill of the B-ranks not good?"

"Just ordinary attack and defense skills. Do you want me to teach you? I can't awaken you because of the 30-day limit."

"No. Unless it's a healer or a rare special skill, I don't need a B-rank."

You're so capable.

"I'll let you know if I find a good A-rank."

"Sure. Don't let it show. Being able to check the skills of A-rank and above expected awakeners is a very advantageous ability for securing top-tier hunters. While once a month might not be very useful, unlimited checks change the game."

"Even if I find them, I won't contract with all of them."

"Of course not, but just the opportunity is valuable, and if things go wrong, I can eliminate them before they awaken. I'm not saying I will, but there are people who might want to."

It's a harsh statement, but it's true.

"I'll only tell you quietly without showing it."

"Okay. You're not hiding anything else, right?"

"No."

Actually, I have a lot, but there are only two titles and eight skills associated with them.

The lowest rank is S. It won't be exposed unless an SS-rank appraiser appears, and it's unlikely that an SS-rank would suddenly appear when there are no S-ranks.

"Really nothing?"

"Nothing. Logically, there can't be anything else. S-rank initial skills are rare, with a maximum of four, so what else could I hide?"

Unless I had a time loop. Yoo Hyun nodded at my words.

"Got it. I won't ask how you collected enough data to predict dungeon appearances."

...You say you won't ask, but why are you looking at me like that?

In the end, my little brother left in a huff without saying anything. What the heck?

A custom car with a heavy design turned into the Hae-yeon guild parking lot. It wasn't the only vehicle.

I turned my head from the window to look at Seok Si-myeong. The fire horned beast, Pise, who was lying at my feet, perked up its ears.

"There are no changes other than the addition of the Hanshin guild."

He said. Hanshin is a guild in a similar position to Hae-yeon, with an S-rank guild leader. However, with Ye-rim and me added to Hae-yeon, the gap will soon widen.

So, all the domestic S-rank guild leaders are coming except for the one abroad. Quite luxurious.

"There shouldn't be any issues."

Seok Si-myeong continued with a reassuring expression.

"Answer questions as briefly as possible. Talking too much might lead to unnecessary information being revealed."

"I won't say anything unnecessary, so don't worry."

I know my life is precious.

"They're intimidating people, but don't be too nervous. Do you want to take a sedative?"

"I'm fine."

I'm not nervous or anxious at all. In fact, I'm worried about the lack of tension.

That said, turning off fear resistance would be foolish, so I need to force myself to be vigilant. The people I'm about to meet, except for my little brother, are all dangerous and crazy.

Actually, is my little brother sane? How many sane people are there among the hunters who go in and out of dungeons? PTSD is a basic trait for those with experience.

"I'm more worried about Pise."

The young fire horned beast wagged its tail as soon as it met my eyes. I really don't want to bring it.

"Will they harm Pise to check Hae-yeon?"

It will be the first to grow into a top-tier mount. From the perspective of other guild leaders, it's bound to be an eyesore.

"They're not that stupid."

That's true, but if they do anything foolish, I'll crush their guild no matter what. I can do it if I don't hold back my cards.

"Pise, come here."

I picked up Pise to prepare to leave. It feels heavier than a few days ago. Maybe it gained weight because it can't run around properly in the small space?

Today, four guild leaders, including one from the third-generation guild, are visiting Hae-yeon. The Hunter Association President is also here. Except for the President, they are all S-rank hunters.

'This is the first time I'm meeting them in person.'

They're all people I've only seen on TV. It's a strange feeling to have these accomplished individuals come to see me.

I'd like to bully them, to be honest. To the people who will be my superiors for the rest of my life, I'd say, "If you want a top-tier mount, you need to impress me, superiors."

Of course, I can't do that. I need to act like a well-behaved cat until I become the landlord.

I went through a security check before meeting the superiors. They thoroughly checked my F-rank stats, even though C-rank would be challenging. Of course, my inventory was sealed, but it wasn't actually sealed.

"From here, you need to go alone."

They're blocking everyone else from entering. Who dares to touch the people gathered inside?

"Pise, you need to be good. No growling."

-Clack

Does it understand and answer?

Walking down the long corridor, I came to a large door. Without hesitation, I opened it and went in.

The gazes poured in. They must have noticed my arrival before I opened the door.

Then why didn't they open the door for me? It's not easy to open a heavy door with one hand holding a child. My child weighs nearly ten kilograms. You insensitive jerks.

"Hello."

I smiled anyway. Smile.

The meeting room had a heavy design, but the faces turned toward me made it feel like I was visiting an entertainment agency.

Except for the gray-haired Hunter Association President, they all had chiseled faces and were young.

The oldest is the guild leader of Seosung, in his late thirties, and the rest are in their thirties or younger. The youngest is the fresh-faced twenty-year-old Yoo Hyun. He looks so young among them.

'Four S-ranks.'

It would be almost impossible to fit them all into a single cell.

"Dear esteemed customers, it's an honor to meet you."

I laid some groundwork while I was at it. Who knows, maybe my sincere love talk will hook them after ten thousand times. It might not work if it's not directed at a specific person, but it doesn't hurt to try.

"If you have any questions, feel free to ask."

I will answer with love and sincerity. Of course, I'll only put in the effort and add a little seasoning to the truth.

At my words, Yoo Hyun slightly furrowed his brows, and the Breaker guild leader gestured to a man standing to the side.

"Let's start with the skill appraisal."

Sure, go ahead.

< My Little Brother... (1) - Paid Starting Chapter > End

ⓒ Geunseo